International Conference

Michelangelo's Madonna and Child in Bruges; Context and Reception

Florence, Dutch University Institute for Art History.
Saturday April 10, 2010

Although Michelangelo's 'Madonna with Child' in the Church of Our Lady in
Bruges is admired by approximately 1 million visitors each year, research
into the history and the reception of this masterpiece is rare. Unlike many
other sculptures by Michelangelo, the Bruges Madonna has not played a
significant role in the recent literature on the great Renaissance master.
Acquired by Jan de Mouscron, an affluent merchant from Bruges, the Madonna
can be dated to the years immediately before 1506 when she was shipped to
Flanders. Apart from two of the Slaves for the tomb of Julius II which came
to France in around 1550 (Paris, Louvre), the Madonna with Child is the only
one of the artist's sculptures to leave Italy during his lifetime.

The Conference is jointly organized by the Dutch University Institute
for Art History in Florence and the Department of Art History of Radboud
University in Nijmegen (The Netherlands), and will focus on different
aspects of Michelangelo's Bruges Madonna. In the lectures questions of
the genesis of Michelangelo's sculpture, its acquisition as well as its
devotional context in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges and the
impression the image made on contemporary and younger artists both in
and outside the Netherlands will be addressed.

Participation is free of charge. Registration before April 7th at
www.ru.nl/arthistoryconferences/michelangelo.

The results of the conference will be published. If you are interested in
ordering the book once published (estimated price Euro 25,-), you can make
your interest known on the above mentioned website.

If you have any further questions about the conference please check
www.ru.nl/kunstgeschiedenis or contact miss. F. Speelberg M.Phil. (Radboud
University Nijmegen) at f.speelberglet.ru.nl.

Conference Program

10:00: Introduction: dr. Michael W. Kwakkelstein, director (Dutch
University Institute for Art History / Utrecht University)

Morning sessions. Moderator: prof. dr. Volker Manuth

10:15: dr. Bram de Klerck (Radboud University Nijmegen): From Florence
to Flanders: on the Origin and Early Wanderings of the Bruges Madonna

11:00: prof. dr. Jos Koldeweij (Radboud University Nijmegen): Business,
Church and Art: the Mouscron Family of Bruges

11:45: dr. Joost Keizer (Columbia University, New York): Michelangelo's
Bruges Madonna and Religious Sculpture circa 1500

12:30: Sophie Goldhagen (Radboud University Nijmegen): Michelangelo and
Primaticcio: a Christ Child and a Putto

13:00: Lunch break

Afternoon sessions. Moderator: dr. Bram de Klerck

14:30: Myrthe Huijts (Radboud University Nijmegen): Visiting Bruges:
Michelangelo's Madonna in Travel Accounts and Guidebooks, 1500-2000 (in
collaboration with Surya Stemerding)

15:00: Jennik van der Varst (Radboud University Nijmegen) : The reception of
Michelangelo¹s Madonna in Bruges: Variations, Copies and the History of a
Mould (in collaboration with Anna Koldeweij)

15:30: Coffee and tea break

15.45: prof. dr. Paul Joannides (Cambridge University): The Reception of the
Bruges Madonna in Italy

16:30: prof. dr. Volker Manuth (Radboud University Nijmegen): The reception
of the Bruges Madonna in Northern Renaissance and Baroque Painting

17:15 Discussion